Paula Deen Is Slapping Her Country-Fried Face on a New Line of Consumables

Disgraced Food Network star, risqué celebrity dancer, and down-home restaurateur Paula Deen is expanding her Southern-centric empire with a new line of foodstuffs. The butter queen has launched "a collection of gourmet consumable products," according to a press release, focusing on various mixes and batters.

Deen is partnering with Jokari, a housewares company based out of Texas, to peddle the new products. It looks like the first items available will be prepackaged mixes to make cornbread, fried chicken batter, hoecakes, fudge, and general baked goods. Jokari chief executive officer Don Saller says more will debut at a later date.

"She's been very hands-on with the product line; it's not just her name stamped on it," Saller said in a prepared statement. "The first five came from some of her restaurants' top selling items. There are at least three more mixes coming ... all of which stay true to Paula's recipes. She approves every mix before it hits the market."

The products will initially be sold on Jokari's website, but Saller says Amazon, Wayfair, and Zulily already have expressed interest in carrying them.

When we last checked in with Deen, she was wading into the fashion industry for the first time. Paula Deen's Closet is up and running, selling women's clothes that she calls "Southern comfortable."